Chiaroscuro : Beauty in Contrast

Chiaroscuro : Beauty in Contrast

Chiaroscuro: Beauty in Contrast

This RQAS sponsored Exhibition and Fundraiser opened last Wednesday 14th March showing a collection of contemporary Queensland artists who have engaged with the contrast of light and darkness and created work to raise awareness for bipolar disorder and mental health. We had several special guests involved in this opening who donated their time and their talents; Elly Hoyt, Peter Ferreira, Christian Hamilton and Anne Naylor our keynote speaker. Anne donated not only her time but also an artwork to be auctioned and copies of her book “Art from Adversity: A Life with Bipolar” the proceeds from these will go to Black Dog Institute.

The opening night was a success with over 80 people in attendance and a lot of fresh faces in the gallery, this exhibition attracted a lot of outside artists as well as outsider artists including a few artists who have personal experiences that relate to the themes explored, we are excited to provide a platform for them to exhibit, this exhibition was inclusive and diverse in its representation of Queensland artists.

The opening event kicked off with a wonderful performance by local singer/songwriter Elly Hoyt and then Black Dog speaker Peter Ferreira took to the stage and helped us understand how to support someone who struggles with mental health issues. After this Anne Naylor our keynote speaker and author of “Art from Adversity: A Life with Bipolar” addressed the audience with an inspirational speech about her art practice and some obstacles she has overcome. Following this Christian from Harcourts opened bidding on Anne Naylor’s “Of Thorns and Petals” which was taken out by artist Craig Dalton with a closing bid of $500. In a whirlwind of generosity Craig then threw his own work up for auction and which fundraised a further $350 for Black Dog Institute.

Through the door fees, book sales and auctions we fundraised over $1,200 for Black Dog Institute.